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B. i3. HOTUHQIUSS, 0l SHARON, ("ONEPIUUT.

BMPROVEMNT NTEMEQFUSES FOR SHELLS.

.To @ZZ whom t 12v/(ty concer/L:

Be it known that I7 lli.4 Il, Horviruiss, of Sharon, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, lieve invented :t certain new und useful Improvement in TiineFuses for- Explosive Projectiles, and I do hereby declare that the following is n. full und exact description thereof. l y

Theeceompenying drawings forni n. part of this specification. Figure l is e side View of the fuse complete. Fig. 2 is n vertical seetion of the seine beforeiiring. Fig. Sis e corresponding seetionafter firing'. I t shows the positions of the ports 'after the striker llas ji'nllen on the dise'lierge of the ennnon and has exploded the fulmine-te, nud lms then been thrown forward to the fullest possible extent by theresuiting gnses.- Fig. e is n side ele- 'ration of the,l capped striker detnelied from the other parts. jFig. 5 isl e. Veorrespemling plen'vievw Fig. 6 is n. centralvcrtieul sec'- tion through seid port. Fig; 7 is a' cross-seetion through the ent-ire fuse on the line S S in `liig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate. like parte inall the iigures.

' flo enable vothers skilled in the nrt to ineke und use my invention, I will proceed to describe its eonstructien'nnd operation, by the :tid of the drawings, end of the letters oi' rei'- erence marked thereon.

A is the exterior fuse-plug; li, un interior l part fitting tightly in A, and adopted to be turned therein to regulate the time of' the explosionin :t menner not necessary to be described; and (i is the slow-burning composi` tion which iills tlie. interior-of I3.' The fire from the combustion of C, communicates :it n. proper time to the qnick;1io\wlei"C, :ind the explosion which then occurs ruptures the thin plete N und ignites the main contents of the shell. (1Notrepresented.)

it is necessary to ignite the forward end of the sloweoniposition C nt the moment the shell is projected forwurll. .lo ei'eet this. l inelose within the capricious heed B2 of the turning pnrt li, n quantity of fuliniunte und u nt1'ike13'wllieh lutter Strikes on the' former by dien'ncrtie when the shell is thrown forward. The liet gases or ilanne from the fulminnte ignite the iurn'nrd eind of ille composition C,

` und the conduis-tion oi' this composition prnduees :t powerful uudc'outinuous current oi iiznne, which should be allowed to escupe freely under all circumstances, in order to insure a. certainand uniform combustion of the slow composition. I nttneli great importance to the means by which I provide for such eseope of the gases.

Y E is a. thin shell or cup, of copper or other suitable` metal, end G is ny striker of metal applied therein in the manner represented. 1When the cup E und striker G are fitted together and introduced in the, head l, in the manner represented, the firing of the gun will canse the striker G to nieve backward rein-- titel;7 to ll, 'nudsheer off 4the slight projections g 0, which overhand the edge of the cap lil. This allows it to strike en :md explode the fulininute F, which is between the interior oi' the cop 1.E end tile buse of the striker G. l close the front oi the hollow head Bf entirely by n. stout disk, l, which is secured by1 bending` flown n. purt oi' the rim of B2, so that it shell cover the edge of Bi" after the lutter is in plu-ce, and I provide holes I in the periphery or sides of l", very neur the front thereof, its represented. In ense the striker G is thrown forward after it has struck und exploded the fulminiite LF, it will be observed that itsproiections y" will strike the Afront plate, B,

ns shown in Fig. 3, und llold the nutin body (i of the striker et suoli n. distance frein B that thc-gases muy find u i'ree lmssnge through the intervening space, whichi I designate G', between the iunin body ofthe Striker G end the front plut-e, l, so us to escupe without possible obstruction, under any circumstances, through the iinul discharge-holes l. The m0- tion ot tbe gases in such euses is denoted by arrows in Figs. Il and 7*.

l The fact that the openings l :1re in the side and not in the front of the lieed'is of ndx'mr tege. li' these holes are in ,the front, E", the escupe ol' the gases is liable to be entirely stopped und the fuse extinguished iu e single r'ieoeliet over water or soft ezirtli.v This is uA metter the importance of which llas long been known; but I nin not aware that 'any one hns., previous to my invention, provided for the leading of the gasesfreely to side holes. l', through spncesi between the striker :nid the front ci' the inclosing cavity, which spaces are kept open under all conditions, as 'i have done;

E G, ntfzym communicating passages, m16. @xteror lateral ssehm-gev-passages, l", comn binefl und :Arranged vmlbsfrmxiaially as and fm' the pul'pusc kamin. set forth, 

